Heart Rate Monitor Training

I have some friends who swear by heart rate monitor (HRM) training for weight loss and for just general physical conditioning. I've use the HRM before, but never really know what to do with the numbers that show on the fancy watch after my workout.

From Polar HRM site

What is HRM training? The theory is simple: The harder you work the higher your heart rate. The body doesn't burn fat at a high heart rate, rather, it will burn more fat while working at a middle (aerobic) level. Exercising below your aerobic range is said to increase the percentage of fat burned in a workout.  Energy used from fat is less likely to be replaced. So people looking to lose weight should be exercising at about 60-75% of their maximum heart rate to lose weight fastest.

WebMD states doesn't necessarily subscribe to the HRM weight loss theory- "To shed pounds, you must burn more calories than you consume. And when it comes to burning calories, the greater the exertion, the greater the rate at which calories are burned. Working out at about 60% to 75% of your maximum heart rate burns fewer calories than working out at 75% to 85% of your maximum heart rate. But caloric burn depends on a workout's duration as well as its intensity- and it's easier to work out longer when exercising at a lower intensity." 

 One fitness blogger suggest that for marathon runners who want to lose weight, you should run once a week  at a sub aerobic heart rate for 50 percent longer amount of time.  If you usually walk at a 16 minute pace per mile for two miles, then you should walk at an 18 minute pace for 3 miles.

I'm mentally fixated on going faster. I'm generally a slow runner, usually not topping over 12 minutes/mile. I want to BE faster, I want to finish my second marathon in under 5 hours. That means 11:30/mile. And now HRM training wants me to start running slower once a week? It's hard to wrap my head around that one. 

Let's look at my numbers and what I would have to do to have effective HRM training:

• Today's resting heart rate: 62 BPM (maybe I need to drop back on the caffeine..)
• Calculating out my maximum heart rate, I take 220-my age (34) = 186
• To reach 60-75% "fat burning" HRM, I need to stay between 111-139.5 BPM
• To reach 75-85% "max zone," I should be between 139.5-158 BPM

When I went running earlier this week (1/1/15), I wore the HRM to get an idea of where I was. Over a 35 minute span, my HR was at an average 149, with me hitting 181 as my max. I hit the max zone within 3 minutes of me being on the treadmill. And this was a slow, easy run for me! Prior to this, I tried doing a run in my "fat burning" zone and ... I was walking most of the time. It felt awful and slow and like I was moving through molasses. I wanted to do more but my HRM was telling me not to.

So I'm making a deal with myself. I will run however I want to run, at whatever pace I want to run, and not worry about the HRM. I'll wear it when doing cross training/weights and keep tabs on it, or I'll add on another "run" day, knowing I need to walk/keep it slow for the burn. I'm curious to know if it works or not, especially because I'm stuck in a weight loss rut at the moment. And I'm definitely curious to see how my overall heart health improves as I continue to train- my HRM recommends that I take a monthly evaluation to compare/contrast. So far, I like what I see...!